


The sweet beginnings and better endings

by LinaLuthor



Series: Christmas in Fódlan [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Byleth just wanted to be good, Christmas Eve, Christmas Party, Established Relationship, F/F, Unhealthy Relationships, designer Hilda, model Kronya uwu, ofc Dorothea holds hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28286496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: Edelgard and Hilda have been dating since the last year of high school and we're now living together as well. They receive a letter from their friend Byleth, who had moved to Enbarr to make a living with her girlfriend Kronya, both of them being models.However, as soon as Edelgard arrives at the house she sees some things are wrong with her friend and high school crush, some of them echoing parts of her own relationship too.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Petra Macneary, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Kronya/My Unit | Byleth, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Christmas in Fódlan [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072001
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	The sweet beginnings and better endings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cafe_au_late](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafe_au_late/gifts).



Edelgard couldn’t recall the last time she had checked her mailbox, something that had been almost forgotten since pretty much everything was solved online. Yet maybe because of the holiday season and the fact that her parents were fans of writing postcards that would arrive an year later sometimes, on that day as she was returning home from work she did just that, the sky already so dark she had nothing but the light from lamp posts to guide her. The small, red metal box was rusty from disuse and abandonment, screeching loud enough for some kids who were riding their bikes nearby to look at her as if she were summoning some sort of creature from hell once she opened it.

There wasn’t much in there, some insects that had thought that was the best place for them to spend winter and a small, white envelope that made her frown. She picked it up and closed the box, shivering under her long, crimson coat when an icy breeze touched her face and bare hands since she had been foolish enough to forget her gloves when she left for work. 

Garreg Mach city had been blessed by a milder winter that year; temperatures hadn’t really dropped too much and it had yet to snow at least a little, but she liked it way better that way, truth be told. It meant she wouldn’t have to change the tires on her car or drive Hilda to work since she neither knew how to drive nor trusted in public transportation this time of the year. 

The last point surely was something Edelgard agreed with but even so, sometimes it was more hassle than it was worth to actually leave the company at lunch time, wait until Hilda was ready and drive her almost to the other side of the city, grab something to eat during the few minutes she had left and finally go back to work again.

As she fumbled with her purse on one hand and the letter on the other, trying to find out any indication of who had sent that, she also gave a long, thoughtful stare at the small, square multi-unit residential where she and her girlfriend of six years lived. The building was a modern one made in unpainted stone, the windows and sliding doors in darkened glass. It had a total of four floors and two units per floor; that, and the fact that it was located in a peaceful, small neighborhood that was the closest to downtown Garreg Mach made it a very sought after place to live in. 

Edelgard recalled how she had done her best to get out of work once Hilda had messaged her to say that the place was open for offers, insisting they should get a unit and move out of the college dorms so they could be together for longer. It had happened on their last year at university and El was in the middle of an important meeting with the business managers - it had been the first time she felt like she was learning something during the entire course of her half year internship, but Hilda insistently telling her to go had made her almost impossible to concentrate. The phone buzzed in her pocket every three seconds, distracting both her and her managers to the point that she took it out, checked to see who it was and turned it off after noticing she had 69 unread messages from her girlfriend.

That had been the main issue of one of their many fights in the year, as Edelgard had strictly told her not to overdo it when she was at work and Hilda sometimes forgot when she was there and when she was just in class. Not that the latter should be an excuse for her to be able to answer messages, but they did tend to message more through those.

At least by the end of the day they got the cute unit they had been staring at for a few months as it was built, then did their best afterwards to turn it into a loving home. Edelgard sighed, decided she would freeze to death if she were to stay there and think too much about it and turned around with the letter in hand. She opened it as she meandered through the wide pathway leading from the mailboxes to the building, her eyes widening when she finally found a name.

Byleth Eisner, the small scribbles on the back of the letter said, or at least she assumed those were a “B” and a “E” and everything that followed them. No matter how long ago they had graduated high school and moved on with their lives, it seemed that some things would never change. 

One of them was how terrible Byleth’s handwriting was, cursive or not. She had more than often lost points in tests because of it, since the teachers were unable to decipher what she wrote and ended up assuming it was something wrong. The second was how the mere mention of Byleth was enough for El to smile in a way that lit up her entire expression, softening eyes which were almost always set in frowns and angry expressions as she dealt with issues at home or at work.

“Oh, someone’s cheerful today,” Hilda said the second Edelgard walked indoors, surprising her with that statement since she had had a terrible day at work and a migraine to go with it. 

One that only got worse the second she realized what was going on in the living room she had vacuumed on the weekend and swept just the night before. 

Hilda was sitting down in the middle of the plush pink rug she had pestered Edelgard to get until she went and bought her three of them. This one was located between the TV, which was blasting an old rom com series, and their sensible black couch, that had been turned into a literal rainbow since it was full to the brim with rolls and rolls of colorful fabrics, buttons of all sizes, pin cushions, threads and everything under the moon that one could use for sewing. In front of the smaller woman was a myriad of more cloth, some of which she was in the process of cutting in small strips and others that she had already done so. A few had visibly been discarded as they lay a few centimeters away from the pile and there was probably a lot under the couch as well.

What was worse, Edelgard knew just by the look of it that if she were to walk in the middle of it all she would find one or more pins on her shoes once she looked at the soles. And probably a few would make its way to her legs if she were to sit on the couch not then, not tomorrow, but a week from that night.

“Do you really have to bring your projects into the living room like that?” El huffed as a way to say hi, dropping her purse by the rectangular, white marble dining table that stood a few meters in front of the door and taking off her shoes. She stomped more than walked to the edge of the sofa, stared at the TV in an accusing way. It was bad enough that one of her coworkers didn’t know the difference between talking and yelling, to the point that she could barely tolerate loud noises once she was at home, after a full day of putting up with them. “And please put it down, there’s no need for you to keep it this loud.”

“Sheesh, Del.” Hilda had to search under all the cloth in her lap before she could find the remote, then lowered the TV as much as she could with a frown on her face. “I liked you better when you walked in smiling. And you know using the spare room to work is boring, there’s nothing else to _do_ there.”

“Well, the idea of sitting down to work is that it will be the only thing you need to think about as you do it,” Edelgard shot back, massaging her temples and shaking her head as if it were the first time she had heard her girlfriend say something like that for the last six years.

She still had very vivid memories of herself sitting still for so long her back was stiff, studying until sunrise while Hilda did her nails, chatted with her as if she weren’t in the middle of something more important than gossiping about their teachers and other couples at school and went to sleep while gently asking for Del to lie with her.

“Spoilsport,” Hilda mumbled, still loud enough for Edelgard to hear. “But is that a letter I see in your hands? What’s it about?”

“I haven't opened it yet.” Despite knowing it was a bad idea, El was also too tired to stay on her feet for one second more. She found a place where there were fewer pieces of fabric or shiny needles around and sat down, watched her girlfriend cut fabric in that precise, mesmerizing way of hers that somehow soothed her as well. She hated when Hilda said she wasn’t good, or that people shouldn’t expect much from her work as it was. “Are you working on that new catalog your boss told you to do?”

“No, her orders were dumb and completely missed the point of the holiday collection I wanted to make,” she shook her head, smiling the slightest at having her cranky girlfriend close enough to touch if she wanted to. Which was what she did, leaning to the side and brushing her hands ever so slightly before going back to cutting and planning. “I'm pretty sure my idea will be better, but the sad part is I’ll be working allllllllllll through the holidays. And all by myself too.”

This time instead of being annoyed by her antics Edelgard chuckled, a finger opening the letter after all and unfolding the curious black paper with a hasty gesture. “You know I’m not the best with a scissor and how much extra work you had to do whenever I, er helped. Just keep going slowly at it and you will probably be done before Christmas… hm, comes around.”

She stopped talking as her eyes ran through the letter, a feat since it was written in some sort of yellow pen (luckily visible enough on the black paper) and the entire text was completely right aligned, something that irked her to no end. 

“Who’s it from?” Hilda raised her head from the fabric she was carefully working with, watching as too many emotions ran through Edelgard’s face at once.

The woman had mostly been stressed out and testy these last few days, something that always happened near the end of the year since her coworkers tended to place more and more demands on her. To see her smiling, then frowning, then looking ready to kill someone (that wasn’t Hilda this time) and finally resigned but clearly annoyed, was something else altogether, something she had missed.

Though far from her to make a comment about it and having all that previous anger directed at herself; she knew until where it would be safe for her to push her boundaries with the princess.

“It is uh, from Byleth. Byleth and Kronya, to be exact,” Edelgard answered, her voice catching at the second name. That at least explained the choice of paper and probably the weird format to the text too. “They are inviting us and some other friends for a housewarming party that would also function as a… Christmas one.”

Not that it was tough to separate Hilda from her work, but she completely gave it up after that and settled the fabric to the side, then scooted over to where Del was and leaned against her shoulder, reading the letter over it.

It wasn’t a long one and simply detailed the fact that recently Byleth and Kronya had gotten a house in Enbarr, one closer to the road than downtown, and since it was big enough to host an army at once they had decided to gather people that meant a lot to them and do an event like that instead of a traditional Christmas party as it was. 

Although Hilda was excited with it and the prospect of seeing their high school friend Byleth plus whoever else they invited, Edelgard wasn’t so sure of it herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see the place, or that she wasn’t happy for them. It was just that whenever she saw Kronya’s name in conjunction with her best friend’s and high school crush, it seemed like the world had stopped, turned itself upside down and tried to keep spinning, with everyone but her rotating alongside it.

“I wanna meet this Kronya person Byleth speaks so much about,” Hilda went on, completely unaware of the conflict inside Edelgard’s mind or the fact that, as much as she too had been curious about the other woman, that feeling hadn’t been strong enough to override the notion that there was something inherently… dangerous or wrong about her too.

If having sweet, somewhat shy Byleth change careers and eventually drop out of college to pursue life as a model just as Kronya herself had done, then Edelgard didn’t know what it could be. Especially when one had in mind they were talking about Byleth Eisner, whose favorite hobby in school had been fishing. Fishing, not the crazy motorcycle stunts she had seen videos of them performing over the last two years they had been together.

But then, wouldn’t it be awful of her to stay away just because of this? Edelgard had asked Byleth to talk about Kronya whenever they messaged or spoke on the phone. She had wanted to still be part of her life even though they were miles apart and had chosen very different career paths. And now that the woman had a housewarming party and had invited her and Hilda to it, how awful would it be if she stayed put?

Besides, what was the worst that could happen? She was indeed getting tired of having to endure Hilda’s parents asking them about marriage year after year, or the sad excuse of a celebration the two would have by themselves when they were able to wiggle their way out of family gatherings.

Which reminded her...

“Have you been able to talk your parents out of coming here for Christmas this time around?” Edelgard asked and the panicked look she got in response was all she needed to know. Of course her girlfriend had procrastinated it again and would leave it to the utmost last second in order to do so. “So hm, how do you feel about us getting two tickets to Enbarr instead?”

The smile, cheer and kiss that followed it were so sweet, El was almost unable to stay mad at Hilda for much longer, especially since they agreed it would be better to travel in such short notice than to have to face either of their families as it was.

Though she did turn to the smaller girl and said before going away to get her computer, keen on trying to find them a good flight for the imperial capital, “I hope you are aware that if I get hurt by stepping on a pin or tripping over some stray fabric, you will be the one to pay for this entire trip.”

There was a bored, miffed grunt that came as an answer, one that was enough to let her know the living room would be in pristine condition once the fashion designer was done with her work for the night.

* * *

Byleth kept glancing outside the window every three seconds or so, something that made Krnoya shake her head in annoyance and roll her eyes at the excitement that was so visible in her girlfriend’s face. It had been long since she saw Byleth’s cornflower blue eyes that wide and carefree, just as the sky outside on that particularly beautiful morning. Although it was winter Enbarr never really got that cold to begin with and sometimes there were so little clouds in the sky, one would think they were still in summer while at the end of the year.

That was one of those days and also the one where the last of her friends were supposed to arrive at their little abode. Though er, calling the red brick, charming three story house “little” would certainly be the understatement of the year. There were enough rooms in there to house an entire army, which was part of the reason why they had decided to call so many people to the housewarming party even if right at that moment Kronya was certainly regretting that decision.

“Are you sure they’ll come?” The orange-haired woman asked from her place in their king-sized bed as she stretched, unwilling to face the morning and the day ahead. The room was already flooded with light which cast its reflection on the white wall above her, one that was made by hitting one of the many mirrors located in the space.

“Yeah, Edelgard told me it was a bit tough to find a place that late but she managed to get a very early one. And that they’d be getting here at around noon, maybe a little before,” Byleth answered, smiling even wider at the mention of her friend. She couldn’t wait to actually see her face to face, to see Hilda as well and be able to talk to them after so many years had passed.

All their communication had been made through internet calls, emails and text messages, which was better than nothing of course, but she had wanted to actually invite them over for the holidays and the likes for years. Kronya, however, hadn’t shared the feeling, especially when Edelgard was involved.

Especially after hearing that Byleth had had one hell of a crush on her all the way through high school but never said anything because she was sure El deserved someone better. When that someone turned out to be Hilda Valentine Goneril, school fashionista and next in line to run the famous, chic clothing brand her family owned, Sweet Valentines, she had suffered in silence, supported both and been there for Edelgard whenever they had a fight. 

Which had been often, for sure. A trend that had accompanied the couple through college and into adult life if the small, brief updates she got from her friend were any indication. 

Not that she didn’t know what that was like, to fight more than agree with one’s companion. One look at her two-year relationship with Kronya and the same pattern could be seen even though she would be the first to say they were in love and probably on their way to something more serious as time went by.

Getting a house together because Kronya said she was tired of sharing rent was a big step towards commitment, right?

“Oh, isn’t her girlfriend that famous stylist?” Kronya languidly rolled out of bed at last, stretching her arms and legs in order to loosen them up. She always slept a bit too cramped to her taste since Byleth had the tendency to either embrace her too tightly or take too much space in bed; she longed to be able to sleep like a starfish on their giant mattress and claim it for herself only.

“Yeah, Hilda is. She just said a huge screw you to her parents’ plans for her and let her brother run Sweet Valentines. She does work for them, but as a designer and not a businessperson,” Byleth recited as she got up from the simple wooden chair she had propped close to the small, square window in order to keep watch over the front yard. Both she and Kronya were prone to sleep in, but on that particular day the last thing she wanted was to miss her friends arriving like that. “And El is the marketing manager for -”

“Yeah yeah, you’ve told me that already,” Kronya sighed, hoping this wouldn’t be an issue in _their_ housewarming party. The last thing she wanted was to be even more suspicious of that woman. “We should go and see if the rest of your friends are up for breakfast anyways.”

The taller woman chuckled, but hugged and kissed her as gently as she could before they were out of the door. “I’m sorry the guys you invited couldn’t come.”

Kronya had half a mind to laugh and say that wasn’t the reason as to why she was upset, but it would be better to let her believe so, wouldn’t it? As they paced through the narrow hallway, over the long black rug that she had told them to get and place there so that it almost covered the expanse of old wooden tiles that made up the floor, she made a sad face and slumped her shoulders forward. It surely wasn’t her best act and any agent that caught her like that would ask her to do better before someone could see the amazing Kronya, the toppest of the top models, behaving so fakely like that, but it was enough to convince her girlfriend that it was the case.

“Yeah that was really sucky of them but oh well, that’s life right. At least I get to… meet your friends,” she added in a gloomy voice once they started descending the stairs, as silently as they could so they wouldn’t wake up the three that had taken up the room closest to theirs.

Byleth ran a hand through her arm as an attempt to solace her. “We can try again for easter or some other occasion. I wanna get to know them better too.”

She gave a weak smile, her eyes roaming over the darkened living room, glad none of her girlfriend’s friends were up and about doing their strange things. Last morning she woke up to one of them yelling at the TV as he and his boyfriend played a video game they had brought along - and who took a video game to a Christmas party to begin with? There was also that person with wild purple hair that wouldn't let anyone get close to them, even though Kronya had done her best to let them know they'd be a great model if they weren't that skittish - yeah, that had ended with them running and locking themselves in their room once more, something that had been almost a constant for as long as they were there.

And just the other night, when she snuck out to get some water (or milk, or wine; she was feeling the need to have something to drink in order to help her sleep) she chanced on seeing those three girls holding hands and kissing right outside their room, the brunette whispering some very very salacious things as it was.

 _Not_ that she had anything against any of it but seriously, did those people have to be so weird in front of her? Couldn’t Byleth have normal friends who liked to drink and read magazines and knew who Kronya was? But noooo, she had been having a time with all the dorks talking video games, sci-fi movies, books (reading? Really? Who did that nowadays?) and the sorts of issues she couldn’t bother listening to. 

It almost made her wish she hadn’t convinced Byleth it was a great idea for them to show off their new place to her less fortunate friends, who would be lucky to have a small apartment to call their own, much less such a charming, rustic house as theirs. It also almost made her wish she hadn’t taken time off from modeling at the end of the year just because she thought she could - and since she hated long coats, boots and pants that made her feel as if she were wearing too much. Yeah, the holiday season was not too nice for someone who was wild, free and liked the clothes she was showcasing to have less fabric, more personality and a lot of glitter to go with it. 

But well, it was done, she thought as they got to the spacious white kitchen and glanced around it while looking for her special mug, at the wooden cupboards underneath the sink and over the counter to her right, the oven that had seen more use on that week alone than it ever had during all the time they had been living together (in a small apartment before) and the circular glass table on her left that was used for breakfast and had proven to be too small for the ten of them. Luckily it meant people took turns eating and she didn’t have to deal with all of them at once, something that was more than welcome since she couldn’t stand those guys anyways.

All she could hope was that Hilda would be a nice companion, maybe someone who would like talking about the same things that Kronya did; she didn’t think she would be able to survive another day of listening to them as it was and being completely ignored when she tried telling them about herself.

She had thought that pretty brunette, Dorothea, would be different since she seemed to have a good sense of fashion, something the others lacked. Yet she had started not contributing to conversations whenever Kronya showed her a few magazines and talked dirty about some models; the two stopped talking altogether the moment after she told Thea how to better dress herself.

Which was stupid since she had only been trying to help! Couldn’t any of those forms understand that?

Nevertheless, maybe things would look up to her now, or maybe they would get worse than they already were if Edelgard and Hilda proved to be major nerds as well. In any case Christmas was almost there and soon it would be over - then, she would be free to kick everybody out without someone accusing her of being against the holiday spirit.

Yet she would be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised once Hilda and Edelgard did indeed arrive a little before noon. She had heard of the designer that was known for her unconventional designs, ones that had happened to rebrand Sweet Valentines for the last four years and allowed the company to get back in the eyes of fashion magazines, major events and the likes. It was also said that most of the time Hilda had to fight for her pieces to be sold or even get beyond the sketching process, but whenever the higher ups did listen to her the company also had major sales and better reviews altogether. 

With all of that and all she knew about Hilda, Kronya was at a loss as to how she was able to stand dating someone as stuck up and seemingly closed off as Edelgard, who avoided Kronya’s hug the moment they met and settled for a handshake instead. Though she had had no qualms about hugging Byleth, something that wasn’t lost on her either.

“How have you been?” Edelgard asked with a smile that was too intimate, too much… there, for Kronya’s taste. One spare glance at Hilda’s frown and it was clear the pink-haired woman thought the same. 

“Pretty good actually, but even better with you here,” Byleth said with a cheeky grin, keeping El in her arms even though they had pulled aside a little bit in order to look at each other’s eyes.

And when they went for another hug before Dorothea, Petra, Ingrid, Bernie, Caspar, Linhardt, Hubert and Ferdinand could even think about saluting the woman as well, Kronya and Hilda lifted their eyebrows at the same time, sharing a glance and the disbelief that was so clear behind it all. 

“It’s so good to see all of you,” El said while looking at the friends that surrounded them, still in Byleth’s arms and enjoying the contact a little too much.

A little more than she should be enjoying, something that became clear to her the second her eyes locked with Hilda’s and she flinched away from the embrace, pretended her girlfriend hadn’t silently threatened to murder her with a sole glare.

Once the awkwardness was over and so were the greetings, they went for a house your that highlighted all of its splendor, the living room coming alive once the heavy blue drapes were pulled aside and sunlight was allowed in, falling on their immense TV (and the purple video game console that Caspar and Linhardt spent so long playing), the bookshelf filled to the brim with everything from fast fashion to boho chic (and a few volumes on marine biology, Byleth’s first undergraduate program until she met Kronya and dropped it to become a model as well since the girl saw too much wasted potential in her). The unused dining table that would probably be set up for dinner when Christmas eve came was right beside the stairs.

But what caught their attention the most were the several pictures that dotted the glass cupboards, smaller tables and pretty much anywhere a portrait could be kept around the living room.

One or two showed Byleth on the catwalk wearing the long dresses or short summer outfits that designers loved putting on her. But no matter how glamorous she looked with all the makeup, the pretty clothes and beautiful lights around her, there was something about her eyes that translated a different feeling, a… void, Edelgard thought. Instead of the confident, proud sensation she got when seeing the many shots of Kronya in the spotlight, she was left with an emptiness, a silent plea for help that went unheard under all the glamour and the niceties that came with becoming an ok-ish model as it was. 

It made her worry and ask more about Byleth’s career as they went to the second floor and saw the fours bedrooms, the nice adjoining bathrooms that were complete with enormous bathtubs and the likes, then the third floor with one extra room (the one she and Hilda would be in) and finally the attic.

It was a wide, darkened room where the couple kept most of the designers clothes they were awarded after fashion shows they were in, gathering dust on their hangers which were set to the left and right walls. On the far end of the place, almost unseen due to all the beautiful attire that naturally called attention to itself, was Byleth’s old fishing equipment. The rod was placed askew against the wall, almost as if it had been carelessly tossed there and never to be used again, beside a smaller bookshelf where Edelgard was pretty sure books about fishing were kept. 

That sight was enough to make her sad as she recalled all the nice pictures Byleth would send her of the fish she had caught on the weekend or after class for the sole year she had attended college. She would always be smiling, holding her prize by its tail and showing it off with a proud expression that seemed to be absent altogether from that woman that trudged beside her, behind Kronya as if she were her shadow. 

She didn’t want to judge or draw conclusions by herself though, so once they were back in the living room, when everyone dispersed and went to do their own things, she waited for Kronya and Hilda to get into a heated debate about color blocking before turning to Byleth and asked, trying as much as she could to keep her tone light. “So hm, how’s fishing? You haven’t said anything about it for a very long while.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that too, By,” Dorothea said, one arm around Ingrid’s shoulder and the other hand caressing Petra’s. She watched as Caspar pulled Linhardt to the TV and got ready to play another round of Smash with Ferdinand and Hubert, as it had become customary for them to do in the mornings at that place. Bernie was hanging around, watching first the five that had gathered in the middle of the living room before focusing on the TV as well, sensing some tension in the air.

Byleth winced and gave a sheepish smile, as if they had reminded her of something shameful, something she had done her best to not think about in a long while. “Oh that? I gave up some years ago. It’s tough to keep a hobby that requires way too much time when you’re a model and needs to be on call, you know. Oh Petra, I forgot to tell you. Last night I remembered we have some books on ancient sword techniques. If you wanna take a look, they’re on the… second shelf I think.”

Nobody missed the way her eyes looked downcast right then, as downcast as they did if one were to glance at the pictures for long enough to see she wasn’t as happy on the catwalk as others would think she should be.

Hilda and Kronya shrugged and went back to their conversation, the former soon growing more and more intrigued by all the fashion ideas the model was giving her, hands itching to grab into some fabric and try it out, or at least find some notebook so she could write it down. It got to the point that they were almost screaming in excitement, glad they found someone who could understand them and their passions, and decided to go talk somewhere else since the video game noises and their own girlfriends were making them uncomfortable.

That was exactly why Kronya commented, loud enough for both Edelgard and Byleth to hear once they passed close to the other two on their way to the kitchen: “Oh gosh, if only my girl could be as informed and excited to talk about fashion as you are, Hilda! It would surely be a lot easier to keep the relationship less... boring.”

Whereas Hilda chuckled at that and rolled her eyes, expressing agreement with a stray “tell me about it”, Edelgard bristled and almost let out a nasty retort to that. She was stopped by Byleth’s hand on her arm, the forlorn light in her eyes and the small shake of her head.

“It’s not worth it, but thanks for your concern,” the woman said in a small voice, tugging on El’s forearm so they could take a seat on the couch away from the TV and the kitchen so they could be able to talk without interruptions.

“What do you mean it’s not worth it?” Edelgard huffed, unsure that she liked where the conversation was going. That and all she had seen before were enough to tell her there was something… not nice going on underneath the beautiful, fancy household, underneath the glamorous pictures as well.

But then she shouldn’t be one to say anything. Not only because she wasn’t in that relationship, but hadn’t she let Hilda push her around a few times as well? That was a normal thing between partners, wasn’t it? Even if she couldn’t remember the last time her girlfriend had taken her advice or done one thing differently because she asked but well…

“She’s always been like that,” Byleth shrugged with a weak smile. “She was the one to tell me I had great potential as a model and all, so I thought, why not? But in the end of the day fashion’s her thing and she has a good eye for it, I’m just happy to follow along and all.”

“Are you? Are you really happy to follow along? And what is _your_ thing, Byleth Eisner?” Edelgard felt rage clawing at her throat but after years of dating Hilda she knew better than to actually yell because she was frustrated with someone else. It wouldn’t change the outcome or anything of the sorts anyways. “What would you like to do instead?”

The worst possible answer to that question was exactly the one that El received. Byleth was quiet, staring at the floor instead of at her and simply shook her head when too many seconds had passed and she couldn’t come up with one answer.

In the end she excused herself and said she would go make sure they had everything they needed for lunch and dinner that day and for Christmas Eve, two days from then, meandering to the kitchen with a confident gait that she must have learned for the catwalk, since each and every step she took away from Edelgard was also too stiff and too formal to belong to the Byleth that she had known. 

“Del, pass me the salt.”

“Del, I need more water for this to work. Fill the cup for me.”

“Deeeel, check the turkey for us.”

“Del -”

“Hilda, can’t you really get up for one second and do your own things?” Edelgard exploded after what felt like the fiftieth order she had received in the last five minutes or so. Not to count the ones she had gotten before, through all the days they had been there already. “Also no, I won’t do whatever it is you want. Stop with the picture and come help us.”

That was followed by silence and at first El was ashamed she had caused a scene, even more so when one too many pairs of eyes went to her face. It was mid-afternoon and most of them were in the kitchen trying to make the necessary meals for their special dinner later, which was funny given their different levels of expertise in the culinary arts all around.

Whereas many of them cooked wonders and Edelgard knew a thing or two about cooking for watching too many shows, noting down recipes and hearing coworkers discuss meal preparations, Hilda’s knowledge of it was the same as a child’s. Which meant that in past holidays they had either relied on their families bringing them something or ordering takeout as soon as one of them woke up, so they wouldn’t have to try their own cooking anyways. 

When Dorothea had learned about that she simply laughed and said with a wink, “well, I’m no better than Hilda but I guess that means you should have a polycule to take care of the cooking, at least if you ask me.”

That was enough to ease the tension that had been escalating between them for the time being. However, it had easily returned once both Hilda and Kronya started doing their best to shrink their duties and work on a new book for the model, one that featured most of the designer’s creations and whatever she and the model had been able to put together through the last few days.

They had been spending more and more time together, with Edelgard, Byleth and their friends doing the same as well. All of that time had been spent thinking about doing that little side project and get the best outfits available for Kronya to shine in. This day, right on Christmas Eve, it had finally worked out, or at least it was working while the rest of the house made sure there would be a feast for them later on.

Both of them would go, pretend to stir a pan, check the seasoning and something minimal like that, then run away from the kitchen before either of their girlfriends would ask them to do something. They actually bossed the girls around instead, while loafing around in the living room and researching good angles or lighting for the best pictures.

Edelgard, who had been happy Hilda had found someone to gush about fashion with (but wasn’t as happy about the fact that Kronya kept throwing snarky comments at Byleth about it), thought enough was enough when they kept doing it, delegated their tasks to others like that for too long. 

“Jeez Del, just chill. I was gonna ask you to make sure the -” Hilda said from the doorway, as she and Kronya rushed in to see what the hell that was about. Of course they would show up at the sight of something like a confrontation.

“No Hilda, I won’t. I thought the point of dating was having someone to help and support you, not a boss you go home to or spend the holidays with,” she cut in, almost dropping the spoon she was using to cook some stuffing for the turkey. “You have been idle for too long, be useful for at least once in your life.”

The words were so cutting, everyone stopped doing whatever they were and froze, turning to look at either Edelgard or Hilda. Both were blushing and there was an edge to their eyes that the friends had seen one too many times already (except for Kronya, who hadn’t gone to high school with them and was smiling at the scene, clearly enjoying it). Apparently no matter how many years had passed, there were one too many things they couldn’t see eye to eye, one of them being responsibilities and effort.

“What the hell are you suggesting, princess?” Hilda started, stomping into the kitchen without a care in the world that there were too many eyes on her.

“I said what I said. I can’t recall the last time you helped me with -” 

“Ok, everyone, why don’t we all take a break and let the oven do its job for a while?” Dorothea suggested, a hand on Ingrid’s arm since she had tensed up at that too. If there was one thing the blonde detested it was someone sleeping on the job or not pulling their weight, no matter where it was. “We’ve been going at it for too long as it is.”

“Well, _some of us_ also did nothing.” Edelgard checked the stuffing one last time and turned off the stove, realizing it was as good as it could get in any case. She then proceeded to walk out of the kitchen without looking at anyone else, much less at her girlfriend.

As she went upstairs she put both hands to her temples and massaged them, wondering what was wrong with her. Sure, that irritation had always been there and was almost a staple when the end of the year arrived. That wasn’t the first time such a thing happened, with Hilda slacking off and her doing literally everything - even when they ordered takeout Edelgard was the one to call, the one to pay, to get the meal and clean whatever dishes they had used in the process, usually while hearing a complaint or another as to why there was no dessert.

Likewise, while Hilda had been the one to give her the idea of buying their apartment, of decorating it a certain way and with certain styles of furniture and the likes, El couldn’t recall one moment in which she had actually helped even though there were many in which she could have. Sure, she had seen plenty of that at work; some people were better at giving ideas than executing them and that was fine. That was why variety in the workplace was a great thing and allowed everyone to be comfortable in doing only what they did best.

However, she could apply the same critics there that she did to such a mentality at her job. That meant people weren’t growing and challenging themselves. If one only did what they were good at, it stopped them from trying new things, from helping their coworkers in a different way, from making sure no one was overwhelmed.

And if there was one word Edelgar would use in the moment to describe herself, even if it were over something so stupid as a meal preparation or the last few days as a whole, it certainly would be overwhelmed.

Her steps had taken her all the way to the attic without her even noticing it had been the case, until her hands closed around something thin and extremely dusty. It was the sensation that shook her out of that reverie, followed by the sneeze which would be anyone’s natural response to that level of dustiness too. After blinking twice she realized she had gone straight to the fishing equipment that had been hidden too close to the wall, almost out of sight and out of mind, and picked up the fishing rod. 

It weighed little, like the more carefree memories she had left behind and were crushed by expectations, brushed aside by responsibilities and half-forgotten due to the importance of schedules and to-do lists. It was a reminder of those days, one that brought tears to her eyes even though she had never fished in her entire life but had loved to see Byleth’s wide grin when she caught whatever important or rare fish that she proudly displayed on a picture, then went on to explain why and how it was so unique and special.

Edelgard recalled not caring as much about the fish and even telling Byleth she wanted to see them all. That she would be proud of her no matter what she caught, even in those days when she got nothing at all. And she remembered how the taller girl had beamed at her, then enveloped her in a hug and kissed the tip of her nose as a silent thank you, both of them blushing since they had been beside their lockers and many people had seen that gesture as it was. 

As the wordless admission that perhaps there was more than just friendship between them, even though both were too scared of their own feelings. Too scared of the consequences of their own emotions and what could come next if they talked about them.

And now there they were, both in relationships that were less than ideal and had been like that for one too many years. At least that was the case for Edelgard, who sighed in relief as she placed the rod back on its place and turned around abruptly once she heard a small chuckle behind her.

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Byleth whispered when she saw the taken aback look on her face, the worry on those lilac eyes she had always admired.

“N- no, it’s ok. If nothing, I am the one that should apologize for exploding like that. This is a housewarming and Christmas party that I have been invited to, it’s not my place to cause so much ruckus,” Edelgard answered after shaking her head, glancing down at the floor and realizing that maybe she could have done better and kept those accusations towards Hilda to herself. It was what she had been doing for the last two days - no, for the last six years, if she wanted to be precise.

It surely would have survived one more day, one more afternoon and evening and the shy hours in the morning before Hilda and her would leave. But no, she had gone and destroyed it all, making them look stupid and -

Byleth surprised her by taking a few steps closer and holding both of her hands on her own, caressing them slowly. “It’s ok and honestly I, I think you’re right. About what you said to her - and yes, I’ve seen the way she deals with stuff ever since we studied together and that hasn’t changed. Like look at how she's been treating these last few days… And ok, it’s her way to go through life but… I don’t think it’s how it would work for you either. You’ve always done so much, been so active and the likes. And she’s great with ideas and on doing what she wants, but the rest is the rest and she always tries getting someone to do it instead. Which is… not something that I think works for you."

The smaller woman nodded, slowly glanced up so they could stare at each other once more. And the same sensation high schooler Edelgard had felt on that nondescript day, when she told Byleth she would always be proud of her, coursed through her right there and then, their eyes locked and their hearts beating as one. It was as if those six years in between hadn’t happened and they were still studying like crazy to get into college, Byleth being the number one person El went to when she wanted some help with one subject or another, an exercise on their practice sheet that wasn’t as clear to her.

“I’m no one to say something about your relationship or how you live your life, but you’re important to me, El. And all I’ve seen is Hilda making fun of you with little comments that you shrug or laugh off, but there’s still pain in your eyes when you do that.” Byleth gave a sad smile once Edelgard’s face became surprised - had no one told her how easy it was to see it, to see the hurt whenever that happened? “Or delegating one too many tasks to you, not just today but through all those years. I remember how livid you were when you had to almost beg your manager to excuse you from work so you could get that apartment before it sold off.”

“And how I got back to our dorm to find her sound asleep, nails polished and with a sweet rom com novel lying open over her face,” Edelgard added with a wince, then frowned as if in pain when similar occasions came to mind all at once.

Similar occurrences in which she had had to step in for Hilda because her energy had been directed elsewhere, because she had been looking for freedom whereas Edelgard wanted stability and to settle down.

This time it was El who hugged Byleth, the need for physical contact as her mind whirred promptly answered when two arms surrounded her and kept her in place. How could she have let it get to that point without noticing that maybe, just maybe, she had deserved better from the start? That yes, Hilda was witty, sweet, funny, talented, gorgeous and amazing in her own way, but there was something about the manner in which both of them wanted things to go, or how they wanted to lead their lives, that went in almost opposite directions.

That perhaps the reason why she arrived home with a gloomy expression every single day, as Hilda had always been prone to point out, wasn’t only because of work, but also due to the fact that her antics annoyed and stressed El out to no end. 

And that it would be ok if they didn’t see eye to eye or if that meant they would be better as friends or exes than as girlfriends. That it would be ok if Edelgard were to be alone for as long as it took for her to get her act together and figure out what to do with herself in the meantime. 

That everything would be fine as long as she had supportive friends such as Byleth and then Dorothea, Ingrid and Petra, who came after them a few minutes later and hugged Edelgard as well. Those friends, that soon were joined by Bernie, Hubert and Ferdinand, told her she would be fine, that they would be there for her, but that they were tired of seeing the way both her and Byleth were being mistreated by the ones who were supposed to love them.

And that yes, the fact that it seemed to be “little things” like wanting to shape one’s hobbies and interests or having a very different take in how life should go by were valid enough for them to feel the way they did.

It certainly didn’t happen on that Christmas dinner, one which they all enjoyed and was marked by the warmth of rekindled friendship, by laughs and carefree stories told in front of a silly movie on TV. For the first time in a long while, it was actually not a stressful time for Edelgard or one of isolation for Byleth. With the care and love from their friends they were able to truly brush off any stupid comments from Kronya and Hilda, then laugh alongside the others and enjoy the food that had been made by people that really mattered.

However, a few months later Edelgard woke up in Garreg Mach city once again, to a big, empty bed and a clear, small apartment. There was a smile on her lips that got even wider when she read the text that had arrived on her mobile a few seconds before the alarm rang:

_Byleth: hey, I’m back in Garreg Mach xD Kronya finally blocked my number after telling me she was seeing an important designer and she’d make sure I’d never get any work as a model. Guess she didn’t listen when I said I was going back to college lol_

_Byleth: anyways, I hope your day goes well and if you’re up to it, wanna go grab some coffee after work? Love ya <3 _

**Author's Note:**

> Reun!!!! You amazing force for the good chaos and for the best puns ever! Had to write your girls in it including Kronya and all her crazy antics shsjsjjss 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and have a great Christmas as well, you more than deserve it. Thanks for being an amazing friend and for everything. Love you tons! 
> 
> Lina


End file.
